Chappaquiddick Trailer: A Kennedy Biopic That Plays Like a Thriller

Chappaquiddick is based on the true story of a car crash in 1969 that ended with Ted Kennedy escaping from a submerged vehicle and a woman named Mary Jo Kopechne being left inside of it to die. The Kennedys being the political dynasty that they were, the incident was whitewashed to the public sufficiently enough for Teddy to skirt jail time and remain a United States senator for Massachusetts for the next 40 years. It’s a biopic that plays like a thriller, and when it screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Vulture called it “relentless, and edge-of-your-seat absorbing: a portrait of an amiable fuckup’s descent into cynicism, and his reluctant embrace of the family business, whose cost of entry is a part of his soul.” When asked if the Kennedy family was consulted about the project, star Jason Clarke said, “I don’t think they want anything to do with it,” which means we the people definitely, definitely want to see what’s up.